Despite being technically both head-of-state and commander-in-chief of the Imperial military, the Emperor is not by any means an absolute ruler. He has to share much of his power, influence and responsibilities with the powerful Elector Counts.

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Election

Upon the death of an Emperor the throne does not automatically pass to his heir. An election is held with 15 Electors, 10 of which are Elector Counts. The heir of the deceased Emperor is an obvious candidate; under normal circumstances he will be supported by the friends and allies of his predecessor. Therefore a dynastic succession is a strong possibility. However the heir may lose the election due to personal enmities or because of personal failings.

Nearly all emperors were chosen from among the Elector Counts and in many ways being an Emperor means being but the "First among equals". He is largely the leader of the Elector Counts, who are powerful and independent. Many matters are debated between the Emperor and the Counts on an equal standing and then agreed upon, and not always as the Emperor wants.

Powers

The Emperor's power is severely limited by the inability of enforcing his edicts within the semi-independent provinces. Far from the capital and inside their own provinces, the Elector Counts rule and they can choose to largely ignore his edicts and decrees. Furthermore The Empire is not a centralised state, but a feudal confederacy. The Emperor does not control the entire military of the Empire and he does not receive all, or even the majority, of taxes. His taxes and resources are collected from his own province and his own personal treasury will pay the military units under his direct control.

Each of the Elector Counts collects taxes from his respective province and will spend his wealth as he sees fit. He will recruit and pay his own provincial army, who is far more loyal to its local ruler. Depending upon the wealth of the province, a wealthy Elector Count may even afford and recruit a larger army than the Emperor. A wise Emperor will realise that trying to subdue the Elector Counts through threats and/or force is a very dangerous errand, which all too easily ends up in open rebellion and civil war. Gaining their respect and loyalty through example and fair leadership tends to be the best policy.

Notes & sources

The beginning of Boris Goldgather's reign is unclear. Warhammer Armies: The Empire (7th Edition) p.30 states that he ruled from 1053 until 1115. Warhammer (7th Edition rulebook) p.172 provides different dates: 1109 - 1115. However the description of Boris makes it clear that he ruled (poorly) for a considerable amount of time and therefore the information of the armybook makes simply more sense.